Saturday, January 17, 2015

"thank you".... a daily ritual

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you,

it will be enough.

-Meister Eckhart-13th century

I want to say "thank you" for all of your wonderful calling cards that you left for us over the holidays! Dan and I read every one (including all the emails) and were so greatly touched. We loved reading about you, where you live and the tidbits about yourself. It truly makes writing the blog feel so much more personal. I appreciate your kind compliments and words beyond measure. To have some of you tell me that I am an inspiration to you only fills me with inspiration, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

When I first heard the above quote many years ago it became my mantra. I firmly believe that being grateful for (even and especially) the smallest of everyday things can change you and your life. To express my feelings of gratitude I say "thank you" to the universe many times over the course of every day.
Being grateful allows me to be focused on what I have as opposed to what I don't, or what I "think" I need or want. I believe that whatever in life you chose to focus on you give power to, so if you focus on lack and not having enough you will get lack back, but if you focus on the smallest little moments and wonders in a regular day and are grateful for them you will get more of that simple abundance and as such a simply abundant life!

Whether I am home alone, it's me and Dan, or we're having friends over I light candles around the house almost every night- always on the kitchen island and the barn room, and other rooms/places on occasion. On dark days I light candles during the day sometimes too. It is a daily ritual that makes the rooms of the house sparkle and come to life with the flicker of magic that is unique only to real candlelight.
When lighting the candles I always pause and try to be very present in that one moment as the wick catches the flame and I say "thank you," either silently or out-loud.
It is my prayer of thanks for all that I am grateful for.

\

I have so very much to be thankful for and that includes you for being here and being interested in all that I write about for the love of our house.Thank you so much.
xxojoan

51 comments:

Happy New Year! I am in agreement with you about living with a grateful heart. As I read your post this morning I kept thinking, "I wish we were neighbors..." We are in for a warm spell here in south central Texas for these next few days and IF we were neighbors, I could share it with you! My best to you, Dan & the girls. Carol

I feel the same as you......when it is dark and cold outside during the day and I am home I always light a candle on the kitchen island. I have always been a big candle fan and I even have my husband lighting one in the morning before I even get up......I guess I have rubbed off on him after 41 years! Thank You for this post! I loved ever photo and word.

This post made me stop and pause and I quietly said to myself, "This is by far my favorite post of Joan's." Thank you for your "thank you". I too am grateful for all that I have. I feel so blessed to have been born with the gift of optomism. It has made my life so fulfilling. I am thankful that you are able to share your optomism with so many of us. May your light keep shining brightly!

I want to say thank you for this wonderful post, as I have been feeling a bit down lately as I am currently unemployed. However after reading this and lots of though lately, I too have so much to be thankful for and need to remind myself of that daily. You are an inspiration to me and so many others. THANK YOU, for opening your home and heart to us.

Beautiful post, Joan. I so enjoy reading For the Love of a House. Thank you for taking the time to share your beautiful home and thoughts. I posted about gratitude in a post in November. One of my favorite quotes I shared in that post is "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur WardI'm going to add your quote to my files. It, too, is a good one.

Hi Joan, this is a lovely post. So heartwarming. I too love candles and lighting them and giving thanks. "To pray without ceasing." I love that quote in the bible but it doesn't mean to walk around constanly moving your lips or genuflecting, it is to be present in the moment to acknowledge all that we have been given, and to be still and know that we have been blessed and that makes us pause and feel humbled. I believe in that moment we are most closest to God. Love this post, love your home. Thanks.Lisa M. FernandezLeeshideaway.blogspot.com

I just discovered your lovely blog and am so happy that I found it. Your gratitude post today resonates with me. I read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach years ago and her attitude of gratitude lessons have stayed with me to this day. I love your candlelit rooms and I think your home is beautiful. I look forward to more of your posts. Thank you Joan.

What beautiful photos! I've always loved your kitchen with that brick fireplace. If we ever build a home, I am incorporating that idea:)Also, I love the touch of the silver pieces in the vases...where do you find things like that? It's such an elegant touch.

A beautiful mantra to live by...(thank you) and a beautiful prayer.Love your home, love the richness in the glow of your candle lit rooms.Thank you for the beautiful sharing you do here, it inspires more than you know.

I am right here with you on this, I say thank you many times during every day too. I am so very grateful for al that I have. So, I want to thank YOU for being here and sharing your home with all of us!!!

Thank you for this lovely post on being grateful. A word about the candles though - my husband and I repainted two summers ago and were appalled by the amount of soot we found on the walls and ceilings - in a house with no fireplace. We were always daily candle users. We have switched to battery operated candles for all but tapers. We just don't want that soot in our lungs anymore.

..."oh lord who lends me life...lend me a heart replete with thankfulness" (shakespeare)..I am certain that the house loves being bathed in candle light...remembering when candle light would have been used by the farmer...blessings laney

What a perfect blog for a January morning.A huge "thank you" to you for allowing us to peek into your stunningly beautiful home.I tried leaving a "calling card" but somehow it never made it. I am in Northern Ca. and formerly SouthernCa , Chicago and Milwaukee!

Joan: Your house looks especially beautiful in the candle light, but please do think about switching to all beeswax candles. I'm a candle lover - lighting them is my sundown ritual every day - but I recently learned that paraffin candles emit very bad fumes and beeswax actually cleanses the air you breathe. And how is Amelia settling in - I've been anxious to see an update about her.

What a beautiful post. I too have made it my goal each and every day to notice the wonder of the world around me, including all that I have to be grateful for. I love your candles lit everywhere. It always makes a room feel special.Happy New Year, and thanks for your always enjoyable posts.Karen

Joan, Dan, and Girls: After our summer visit, I copied your candle idea and put battery votives throughout our first floor and light them often. It's amazing how a little flicker in a room gives such dimension and hominess to the room. I prefer "real" candles, but have been known to not extinguish them, so am playing it safe. Cindy

What a lovely post! Living in the Upper Midwest, I especially enjoy candles this time of year. Not only do they offer a warm solace at the end of a cold day, they also help dispel the odors of our evening meals when windows cannot reasonably be opened. I love the aromas of my winter cooking when I'm actually cooking... but not hours later. ;-) Mostly, a candle reminds me of my dear friend, who always has one burning in her home. Her home is especially warm and inviting, and so, Joan, know that your guests feel the same. ~Angela

What a lovely post. I agree with the gratitude notion and during times when I have made a conscious effort to express (or write about) gratitude and practise other laws of attraction, it has made a big difference. Your home, as always, is beautiful and inspiring!

Lovely sentiment. I agree that having a grateful heart opens us to more blessings, and what we focus on expands. With so many negative things vying for our attention - what the media thrives on - it's vital to appreciate all the many, big and little, aspects of our lives that are truly wondrous - like sharing thoughts with someone far away you've never met, but who is indeed a kindred spirit. I'll light a candle to that.

Lighting candles is ceremonial in so many religions and cultures. Like you, I light candles all throughout the house. It always feels that there is something special and spiritual about the process. It calms me, it anchors me - I stop, breath deep and reflect. And I believe it invites Angels to visit more.

I have many small glass holders for tea lights - the cut glass ones that look like they are many years older than they really are. The somewhat overused green glass ones that reflect candle light the best. My little treasures. And what do I usually put inside ? The tea lights from IKEA - it's true. - they last the longest... giving the Angels more opportunity to sit with me.

I posted a calling card but I wasn't logged in & lost it. It was rather wordy & the season was upon me so it just never arrived.....trying to stay short & sweet. Love your blog, share your (& my) gratitude daily as well. Pray that you have a wonderful year and really grateful it got warmer in Texas. That much cold should stay with you up North!!! hee..heee

Your timing is so perfect - thank you! I lost my 15 year pet companion on Saturday and have really been struggling with the grief. I lit a small candle that day, intending to let it burn out in her honor. I was so shocked when it burned out at almost the precise hour and minute of her passing. I have been inspired by your words to begin being thankful for my pet's loyalty and companionship over the years. No more being angry over her loss. Like the candle timing, yours was perfect...

I missed your calling card post but have really enjoyed reading through the responses. My greetings are from Tucson, Arizona. I love your style and am always looking for ways to incorporate it into my southwestern decor. I frequently see things in mail order catalogs that I think must be copied from your blog; fishing floats, your headboard, the list goes on. My rescue dogs send their greeting to yours. Rhonda

Your husband was kind enough to share his "Office", and your house pictures with me today. I've added your blog to "My Favorites". Thank you for the inspiration and your husband for the ride.Regards,Mike

Welcome! Thank you for leaving a comment; you have no idea how much your comments inspire me to keep writing- I appreciate each and every one. Comments are moderated by me prior to publishing on the blog, so if you don't see your comment post immediately it will be posted as soon as I receive it and read it. joan

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Twelve years ago I could not have even pointed out New Hampshire on a map, but here we are! Nine years ago, after living for 15 years in the beehive that is Dallas, Dan and I finally escaped and landed in a very small town in New Hampshire that doesn't even have a traffic light. Perfection! Our move was a huge risk, but it has paid off with dividends and we absolutely love it here. I think we are really Yankees at heart. If you've never been to New England I cannot describe it with adequate words, you really just have to experience it. It is like no other part of the country. Its beauty matches our beloved Colorado, Oregon, and Washington and its spirit (Live Free or Die) is reminiscent of Texas, and the people... well, we have found them to be most genuine. In essence... we feel as if we have arrived home!

the living room

the kitchen

the dining room

the reading room

the master bedroom

the master bath

the North guest room

the South guest room

the guest bath

the barn room

the summer barn room

the barn half bath

the barn mud room

With the eyes to see it and the hands to create it, we can recover the home that the soul desires.
-A. Lawlor-

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It's a house with rooms that reflect a place, a feeling, a memory of the past.-unknown-

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